That We May All Be Big Losers.

For a few weeks I’ve been watching The Biggest Loser, getting all caught up on the episodes from season 10. I’ve always thought it would be cheesy and silly, but I was wrong–I admit it– to all of those I made fun of, I WAS WRONG! THIS SHOW IS WONDERFUL. It is about more than Bob and Jillian yelling and the contestants sweating and bleeding, it is about figuring out what is at the heart of the problem. 10, 20 pounds, that can be explained scientifically by examining ones diet and exercise, but an excess of 100, 200 or more pounds, there’s a lot more to it than that.

Food, like alcohol and drugs, is addictive and can be a short term fix, but it results in a long-term problem. I’ve done it, I’ve skipped a workout on a bad day and eaten cookies because I thought I “deserved it.” Now I realize that what I really deserve is to give my body healthy food and to keep it active, THAT is the lifestyle I deserve. I deserve the happiness that comes with making healthy choices and feeling good.

This season The Biggest Loser has been all about “paying it forward” by spreading knowledge and inspiration to others in need of the same health interventions. Personally, I’ve been thinking of ways to pay it forward at my school and throughout my community where there is plenty of need. Our country is in a lot of trouble. If 60% of our adult population ill from excess weight, how do we expect to continue to progress as a people?

I did my student teaching on the Navajo Reservation, and the most important lesson I learned in those 6 months was the importance of the community, not the individual. The success of the community is the priority, not the success of one single person. If our country is not healthy and therefore cannot be successful, then how can we expect to be happy and healthy as individuals?

Although I thoroughly believe that these changes can occur one-by-one and the journey must begin with the individual, it must not end there. We have an obligation to ourselves, our families, friends, and our country to help each other strive, not merely survive. But what we are doing as a country right now is not even surviving, we are struggling. With 60% of our population ill, we must reach out to one another for support, inspiration, and knowledge.

Maybe YOU are part of the 60% that is struggling and you’re waiting for someone to reach out to you….consider this my hand. Did that sound corny? Maybe, but I mean it. Whether you are in need, or you know someone in need– reach out. Do you think you’re not fit or knowledgeable enough to help other? You’re wrong, it’s not about that; it’s about your willingness to step outside of your comfort zone. You could be saving someone’s life. I go back to my favorite quote “You will never grow as a human being, unless you step outside of your comfort zone.” Is it uncomfortable to exercise? Yes. Is it uncomfortable to walk past a plate of brownies? Yes. Is it uncomfortable to ask someone for help? Yes. But let me ask you this…

Is it uncomfortable to struggle up a set of stairs? Is it uncomfortable to stretch your budget to pay for expensive medicine? Is it uncomfortable to watch someone you love struggle with their health? Is it uncomfortable to sit on the sidelines as your kids beg you to play with them?

As a country, as a community, we must pay it forward. For you, maybe paying it forward means starting with yourself before reaching out to others, if that is so, help yourself to the healthy life you deserve.

Paying it forward can look like a lot of different things…

Call a friend and set up a date to take a walk or jog, then do it every week.

Call a friend and ask them over to dinner–you don’t have to tell them it’s going to be healthy 🙂

Give a healthy gift for Christmas; a jump rope, a membership to a gym–then go to the gym with your friend or loved one.

Start a fit club at your kids school.

Read a book on nutrition and share your knowledge with others.

Teach your kids how to make healthy choices.

Today, step outside of your comfort zone to help another or help yourself. You DESERVE to eat healthy food and lead an active lifestyle, and you should be providing yourself with nothing less!

By the way–vote for Ada 🙂

Also, I will be posting a wonderful transformation story in the next few days of a woman from our gym who has committed her life to functional fitness and eating real food and has reaped great benefits. So stay tuned 🙂